Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is working with Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) to spawn a new breed of tablets and notebooks that promise to diversify the software giant's tech base and give the chip maker access to new markets.

The partnership will result in an update of Windows 10 that runs on a chip in Qualcomm’s widely used Snapdragon line of processors, the first Windows 10-Snapdragon pairing.

Microsoft's Office Add-in program will remain accessible to third-party professional social networking services and promotional opportunity will continue to exist for third-party professionals in the Office Store. Further, IT administrators and users can choose to customize their Office experience by displaying LinkedIn profiles and forthcoming activity integrations within the user interface. PC manufacturers will be given the option to choose whether or not a developed LinkedIn application or tile included with Windows is installed on PCs within the European Economic Area (users can also uninstall, and Windows will not be used to promote installs of any LinkedIn applications) and lastly, agreements with PC manufacturers for pre-installation of a LinkedIn application or tile that would lessen distribution of competing professional networking services will not be entered into.

With prior approval of the combination already secured in the U.S., Canada, Brazil and South Africa, E.U. clearance represented the last remaining regulatory hurdle as the Microsoft (MSFT-0.4%), LinkedIn (LNKD+0.4%) deal is now set to officially conclude in coming days.

A group effort? YouTube (GOOG, GOOGL), Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) are stepping up efforts to remove extremist content from their websites by creating a common database that will be up and running in early 2017.

The web giants will share "hashes" - unique digital fingerprints they automatically assign to videos or photos - of terrorist material to enable their peers to identify the same content on their platforms.

With AWS re:Invent 2016 wrapping up as the week comes to a close (view a comprehensive synopsis of the event's developments here), Amazon (AMZN-0.5%) appears in no way easing concentration on its cloud business. Rather, it's ramping on it as competition and potential for the segment moves further into play.

In one slide presented by AWS CEO Andy Jassy, approximately 1,000 new capabilities are cited to be added to the unit's services every day, up from a 722 figure for the year prior.

Additionally, an area of development opportunity observed and acted on this week comprised artificial intelligence, through the launch of Amazon AI. With Microsoft (MSFT-0.1%) and Google (GOOG, GOOGL) already directing attention this way, Amazon not excluded, projecting further distance between Amazon and its closest cloud rivals isn't unreasonable given the offensive it's waging in the field.

Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) acquisition of LinkedIn (NYSE:LNKD) this year wasn't the first approach made by the U.S. technology giant to buy the firm, one of the professional networking site's founders told CNBC.

"Since the early days, Microsoft had a standing offer to our VCs," Konstantin Guericke declared, stating MSFT had approached the company before he left in 2006.

But the entrepreneur, along with other co-founders including current chairman Reid Hoffman, felt the site still had a long way to grow at the time and didn't see the need to sell out.

The South China Morning Post reports Microsoft's Azure platform comprises 17.3% of market share within the country, and maintains positioning there second behind Alibaba Cloud (BABA-0.1%) [N.B. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post], and ahead of thirdly ranked Amazon Web Services (AMZN) among public cloud platforms in Q4 2016.

As it targets expanded development in China, Microsoft (MSFT) notes partnerships represent primary focus of the cloud business' growth strategy and that the company overall is "very different" from where it was ten or even five years ago.

Looking at the top 50 hedge fund hotels, it's probably little surprise that Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) top the list, with Amazon making for a top 10 holding in 61 funds, and Facebook in 57.

Looking at another gauge - the percent of market cap owned by hedge funds - shows CommScope (NASDAQ:COMM) leading the way, with hedge funds owning 37%. Next is Dell Technologies (NYSE:DVMT) and Expedia (NASDAQ:EXPE) at 30%, and after that: Liberty Broadband (NASDAQ:LBRDK) at 24%, LinkedIn (NYSE:LNKD) at 21%, Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) at 20%, and Humana (NYSE:HUM) and WhiteWave Foods (NYSE:WWAV) at 19%.

Reuters reports Microsoft (MSFT+0.6%) has offered to maintain open access by competitors to LinkedIn (LNKD+0.1%) and provide hardware manufacturers the ability to install a variety of services as the company continues to seek European Union approval of its LinkedIn purchase.

Favoring of LinkedIn over rivals and packaged products making operation more difficult for other services, the latter something European Commission regulators have gone after Google for, are considered main concerns held by the agency, ones these measures are intended to ease.